Effects of a 6-month Exercise Program Pilot Study on Walking Economy, Peak Physiological Characteristics, and Walking Performance in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

Overview

Journal Vasc Health Risk Manag

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2012 May 9

PMID 22566743

Citations 14

Authors

Robert G Crowther

Anthony S Leicht

Warwick L Spinks

Kunwarjit Sangla

Frank Quigley

Jonathan Golledge

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-month exercise program on submaximal walking economy in individuals with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication (PAD-IC). Participants (n = 16) were randomly allocated to either a control PAD-IC group (CPAD-IC, n = 6) which received standard medical therapy, or a treatment PAD-IC group (TPAD-IC; n = 10) which took part in a supervised exercise program. During a graded treadmill test, physiological responses, including oxygen consumption, were assessed to calculate walking economy during submaximal and maximal walking performance. Differences between groups at baseline and post-intervention were analyzed via Kruskal-Wallis tests. At baseline, CPAD-IC and TPAD-IC groups demonstrated similar walking performance and physiological responses. Postintervention, TPAD-IC patients demonstrated significantly lower oxygen consumption during the graded exercise test, and greater maximal walking performance compared to CPAD-IC. These preliminary results indicate that 6 months of regular exercise improves both submaximal walking economy and maximal walking performance, without significant changes in maximal walking economy. Enhanced walking economy may contribute to physiological efficiency, which in turn may improve walking performance as demonstrated by PAD-IC patients following regular exercise programs.

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